


A Long and Winding Path

by StrongerThanAnySword



Series: Princes: Captive, Modern [2]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: :'), Auguste is still alive, Because y'all are adorable and I can't say no to you, F/F, F/M, For now there are Adorable Dates, M/M, Multi, The beginning of a larger work, This comes after Cotton-Candy Fluff, Warnings for later content, and feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-10 20:39:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8938267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrongerThanAnySword/pseuds/StrongerThanAnySword
Summary: Laurent has said "yes" to another date, a proper date, but he had no idea what would come with it.  Laurent and Damen go somewhere Laurent did not expect.Beginning of a Modern AU!  Kind of a "what if"--what if they had met in normal circumstances, as Laurent once asked?  I got curious so heeeeeere we go!





	

Laurent had no idea what to expect.

Well, that wasn't true.  

He knew to expect Damen, that Damen's number which had burned against his skin through his pants pocket all the way home and had shouted from where he set it, carefully, on the bedside table, and had warmed his entire body when he picked it up and dialed had summoned him to Laurent's home, that he had promised to arrive no later than noon on the lazy Sunday morning.  He knew that Damen was excited--he'd been sleepy when he answered only to sharply snap into awareness when he understood it was Laurent on the line--and that he had been promised something fun and exciting.

He was still wondering what that was when the knock sounded from downstairs, sounding excited against the door.

Laurent took a deep breath, propped up on the heels of his hands against the sink, and looked into the mirror.

 _You are going to keep a hold on yourself,_ he instructed his reflection sharply.   _You are going to be careful and you are going to stay sane.  You don't know anything about him._

"Laure!" August's call came, ringing up the stairs.  He sounded far too cheerful.  "Damen is here!"

Laurent tried squaring his shoulders in the mirror, giving himself a fierce look.   _It's going to be fine,_ he scolded himself,  _and if it isn't you will leave, simple as that._

He didn't remember walking down the stairs, nor opening the door, and yet there stood Damen, wearing swim trunks, a light, sleeveless hoodie, and a huge grin.

"The beach?" Laurent guessed, trying to sound nonchalant, but his body was running cold and his heart was squeezing in his chest.  His pulse thudded in his veins.  He was wearing jeans and a long-sleeved shirt, covered up, the way he preferred to be, and the beach meant swimming, it meant swim trunks and not much else, it meant a lot and suddenly it was too much; his hand gripped the edge of the door where it had been resting, palms suddenly sweaty, and Laurent imagined he could hear wood splintering.

"Only if you want to!"  Damen's smile had dimmed a little--had he noticed Laurent's reaction?--and he dug into the pocket of his sweat shirt.  "Otherwise, I thought we could, I dunno, hang out for a little while, grab dinner, and then--"  He withdrew his hand and offered two tickets to Laurent, who took them after a too-long  pause.

Laurent gaped down at them.  Shiny, printed on thick paper, was a tasteful background and the words...

_"The London Philharmonic?!?"_

Damen's grin was back, full-force.  "I thought that would be a better first date than the beach," he admitted.  "If you don't want to go, that's fine, but you have to help me scalp these tickets."

Laurent scoffed.  "I don't think the kind of people who would go to the  _London Philharmonic_ are the type to buy tickets from a scalper."  He was still staring, at Damen by this point, feeling a little out of breath and a  **lot** out of depth.

Damen's expression slowly turned more mischievous.  "I guess we'll never know, hm?"  He laughed.  "Come on, let's go to the park or something, your choice.  We'll have dinner wherever you want to go and then we'll go to the concert."  His expression turned serious as he looked at Laurent.  "Is that okay?"

Laurent, still a little out of breath, nodded, feeling numb in a good way, if that was even possible.  "Yes," he murmured.  "That sounds...incredible."

Damen smiled.  "Come on!"  He jerked his head back to indicate a red-and-gold pickup truck parked on the street behind him.  "I'll drive."

Laurent nodded again and stepped outside, turning to close the door; the last thing he saw before following Damen down the sidewalk was his brother Auguste wearing a shit-eating grin and giving him a double thumbs up.


End file.
